Custom Fireplaces: Indoor and Outdoor Builds
Straight answers on premium finishes and custom work from a Fort Worth design-build contractor with 500+ projects since 2009.
Request a Free EstimateCall (817) 800-6920- ★★★★★ 4.9-Star Google Reviews
- 500+ Projects Completed
- BBB Accredited
- Fully Insured
- Fixed-Price Contracts
A custom fireplace costs $8,000 to $30,000 in North Texas. A gas insert with a new surround runs $8,000 to $15,000. A full masonry outdoor fireplace with a chimney runs $12,000 to $25,000. Adding a fireplace where none exists costs more than replacing one, because the venting has to be built.
Gas, wood, or electric
| Type | Typical Cost | Venting | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric insert | $3,000–$8,000 | None | Ambiance where venting is impossible |
| Direct-vent gas | $8,000–$18,000 | Through-wall or roof | Most indoor applications |
| Wood-burning, indoor | $12,000–$25,000 | Full chimney | Traditional look and real fire |
| Outdoor masonry | $12,000–$25,000+ | Chimney | Outdoor living centerpiece |
| Outdoor gas / linear | $8,000–$18,000 | Simpler | Contemporary outdoor spaces |
In North Texas, direct-vent gas is what we install most indoors. It vents horizontally through an exterior wall rather than requiring a full chimney, it delivers real heat, and it lights instantly — which matters in a climate where you want a fire for six evenings a year, not six months.
Adding one where none exists
This is where the cost separates. Replacing an existing firebox reuses the venting, the framing, and the hearth. Adding a fireplace to a wall that has never had one means creating a chase for venting, framing the enclosure, running a gas line, providing electrical for the blower and controls, and building the surround and hearth from scratch.
On an exterior wall, direct-vent gas keeps this manageable. On an interior wall, the vent has to travel — through the ceiling, through the attic, and out the roof — and the cost climbs accordingly.
The surround is where the design lives
The firebox is a mechanical appliance; the surround is what you actually look at. Options range from a simple painted mantel and drywall to full-height stone or brick, plaster, tile, board-and-batten, or a floating hearth with a linear burner and no mantel at all.
Two constraints govern: clearance to combustibles, which is set by the appliance manufacturer’s instructions and by code, and determines how close a wood mantel can sit to the opening; and TV placement, which is the most common design conflict we see. A television mounted directly above a fireplace often ends up too high for comfortable viewing and exposed to rising heat. Offsetting it, or recessing the TV into an adjacent panel, usually works better than stacking them.
Outdoor fireplaces in North Texas
An outdoor masonry fireplace is a genuine centerpiece and it extends the patio season into the months when the weather here is at its best. Practical considerations: it needs an engineered footing, not just a patio slab; it must sit at a code-compliant distance from the house and any combustible structure; and the chimney has to be tall enough to draw properly rather than smoke into the seating area.
If the goal is atmosphere rather than heat, a gas fire pit or a linear gas fireplace costs less, lights instantly, and produces no smoke — which on a covered patio matters.
See our outdoor fireplace vs. fire pit comparison and stone masonry page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you add a fireplace to a house that does not have one?
Yes. On an exterior wall, a direct-vent gas fireplace vents horizontally and is the most practical option. On an interior wall the venting has to run up through the attic and out the roof, which raises the cost considerably.
Is a gas or wood fireplace better in North Texas?
Gas, for most homes. It lights instantly, produces real heat, needs no wood storage or ash cleanup, and vents simply. Wood-burning is the right choice when the look and experience of a real fire is the point.
Do you need a permit to install a fireplace?
Yes in most cases — gas line work, electrical, and venting all carry permits and inspections, and masonry fireplaces involve structural footings. It is one of the projects where inspection genuinely matters, since the failure mode is fire.
Can you mount a TV above a fireplace?
You can, but it is often too high for comfortable viewing and exposed to rising heat. Check the fireplace manufacturer’s clearance requirements, and consider offsetting the TV or recessing it into an adjacent panel instead.
How close can a wood mantel be to the firebox?
That is set by the appliance manufacturer’s installation instructions and by code, and it varies by unit and mantel depth. It is designed in rather than decided on site — clearance to combustibles is not a place for judgment calls.
Let’s price your project
A free walkthrough and a fixed-price scope for your exact project — no pressure, no guesswork. Serving Haslet, North Fort Worth, Northlake, Westlake, Justin, Roanoke, Keller, Southlake, Trophy Club, Colleyville, and North Richland Hills.
Request a Free EstimateCall (817) 800-6920